Follow Me Down
by callionimi
Summary: {Set during the five year mission, heavily based off the movie YellowBrickRoad} They'd heard townspeople talk of it before, the whispers. They never thought anything of it. Besides, it was just a trail right? Nothing would go wrong, they'd just walk, take pictures, it'd be fun...


{Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of the characters used in this story. Finn belongs to the wonderful tumblr roleplayer ensignfinnclifton}

Though if you asked he would not admit it, James Tiberius Kirk was nervous, scared even. The last time they visited this planet everything was normal, fine, near perfect. It had more forests than earth, more oxygen. At first the bigger insects as a consequence of this had freaked him out a bit. But it was fine, because the previously unvisited planet wasn't dangerous.

Until they discovered the trail. They'd heard townspeople talk of it before, the whispers. They never thought anything of it. Until Sulu had announced he and Chekov intended to walk it, their curiosity getting the better of them. Besides, it was just a trail right? Nothing would go wrong, they'd just walk, take pictures, it'd be fun, a good bonding experience for the crew.

The rest of them all decided to go as well. The townspeople had given them looks, the whispers had become louder. Whispers of the last people who walked the trail, how they went missing, and those who didn't... had been found dead. Murdered brutally, chunks of flesh torn away by hands. It hadn't deterred them, that was years ago, whatever had done it had probably died, besides, they had guns, their phasers left behind as the planet was less developed then earth, leaving them unable to reveal technology the inhabitants of the planet had yet to discover, and most of them were trained with hand to hand combat.

How wrong they'd been. They left after barely three days, Spock convincing them. None of the co-ordinates they'd been given matched up, and they kept losing the trail, despite the bright yellow bricks that marked the trail, though they were mostly hidden by moss and weeds now.

But they lost so much... so many crew members hadn't made it back, losing their way, or simply... disappearing.

But barely a month later they'd been forced to return, they had to at lest attempt to find their fellow crew members, no matter how long it took, or how difficult it was. And this time they would lose no more. He looked over fleetingly at Bones, conversing quietly with his daughter, Joanna.

He overheard a few words, he was instructing her she had to keep herself safe. No matter what she saw, or heard. And if she saw anything, or heard anything to do with anyone they lost, she had to tell them, no matter what.

But above all she had to stay safe.

He felt a pang in his chest but kept shoving things in his backpack, food, weapons, anything he would need.

He looked up again to see a familiar ensign doing the same, but much slower, with less enthusiasm.

Finn was dreading walking the trail again. He didn't want too. He wanted to stay on the ship, even if it meant being alone. It was better than this... better than the constant fear of history repeating himself.

He couldn't lose anyone else, he just couldn't. But he wouldn't show it. He had to make them all laugh, keep them smiling. Just like the friends he'd lost had done. He wouldn't let anyone be sad.

But he knew all he could really do is hope that this mission didn't end like the last time they were here. He didn't think he could take that, losing more people. Like the others they'd lost before, his friends, people he cared about, people he loved.

"Come on crew, time to go," Finn heard the Captains voice ring out as he finished packing, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Jim looked around, a dirt road behind them, trees as far as the eyes could stretch, the leaves green against the blue canvas of the sky.

All they could do now was walk. Walk and hope that what they found wasn't body parts and blood.

All he could do was hope that they hadn't lost those they'd left behind.


End file.
